Following Australia’s historic nine-wicket Test loss to Bangladesh in Darwin, skipper Pat Cummins admitted his side was outplayed in all departments, citing the day one performance and a failure to build batting partnerships as key reasons.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins admitted that Bangladesh outplayed his side in all departments after suffering a nine-wicket defeat in the first Test in Darwin on Sunday.
Reflecting on the loss, Cummins said Australia’s performance on the opening day put them on the back foot, while they also failed to build long partnerships with the bat and make breakthroughs with the ball.
Cummins’ Post-Match Reaction
“Probably that day one. I thought our preparation was spot on, no excuses. They played well. We had to find a way to bat longer, and then we couldn’t penetrate with the ball,” Cummins said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
Bangladesh bowled Australia out for 198 in the first innings before posting 426, taking a substantial lead. The hosts showed greater resistance in their second innings, scoring 284, but Bangladesh comfortably chased down the 57-run target with nine wickets in hand.
Cummins said the team would review its batting approach and assess match-ups after the heavy defeat. “Every time there’s a game like this, you look at match-ups. We’ve just finished the game, so we’ll think about it. We’re pretty good at bouncing back,” he said.
The Australian captain praised Bangladesh for their disciplined performance throughout the Test. “They outplayed us in all department; they were patient and disciplined,” Cummins said.
Cummins also backed Josh Hazlewood and Cameron Green despite the defeat. Hazlewood claimed six wickets in Bangladesh’s first innings, while Green scored a fighting 104 in Australia’s second innings. “Josh hasn’t had a great run for injuries but he’s one of the hardest workers. Green’s tempo showed how good he is, he needed a couple of us to hang in with him,” Cummins said.
How the Match Unfolded
The defeat marked Australia’s first Test loss to Bangladesh on home soil and gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Bangladesh’s victory was also their first Test win in Australia.
Coming to the match, Australia were bowled out for 198 in their first innings, and managed 284 in the second innings to set Bangladesh a target of 57. The visitors completed the chase comfortably with Mominul Haque unbeaten on 30 and Shadman Islam not out on 25.
Bangladesh had laid the foundation for the victory with a strong first-innings total of 426. Tanzid Hasan, who scored his maiden Test ton, top-scored with 101, while Najmul Hossain Shanto contributed 84 and Mehidy Hasan Miraz made a crucial 65.
Australia’s Josh Hazlewood was the standout bowler in the first innings, claiming six wickets for 89 runs, but Bangladesh’s substantial first-innings lead put the hosts under pressure.
Australia struggled in their first innings and were dismissed for 198. Steve Smith offered resistance with a 71-run knock, but Hasan Mahmud’s six-wicket haul for 55 runs helped Bangladesh bowl out the hosts cheaply. Ebadot Hossain also claimed two wickets.
Australia showed greater fight in their second innings, with Cameron Green scoring 104 and Steve Smith adding 44. However, Bangladesh’s bowlers again kept control of the innings. Mehidy Hasan Miraz claimed five wickets for 56 runs, while Hasan Mahmud took three for 66 as Australia were dismissed for 284.
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